OT: Having my tonsils out as an adult

[lisabarr]

I had mine done about 4 yrs ago at 36 and let me tell you, I would rather have 10 million babies without an epi than EVER do it again! It was a brutal, brutal recovery!

I must admit though, it has been wonderful as far as not getting sick!

 

[dreamin_disney]

my dd had her adnoids out at age 8-9. My sister had her tonsils out around age 30-33. She warned me that once the scabs fall off theres terrible bad breath. She told he so i'd be prepared for dd. DD had a fast recovery but the bad breath was horrible!!!! The smell was very strong and would penetrate a small room. It did go away but i tried not showing her or by reacting to it each time she'd give me a hug or rest on me. Poor baby. She did get bubble gum out of it but wowza!

When the scabs fell off she had a horrible taste in her mouth the entire day.

Good luck!

 

[CTdiznymom]

DD had hers out at 26. Surgery was a breeze. As a previous poster said, take the meds whether you think you need them or not. After a few days she didn't think she needed the strong meds, so we switched to childrens liquid tylenol which worked great. Dairy is not recommended as it causes a lot of phlegm and you don't want to be coughing or clearing your throat. Stay away from citrus-y things too. She did a lot of boullion (they sell it in a box and there are individual packets) I also borrowed a SNO-CONE machine, and made her ice chips with a little apple or grape juice to flavor. She lived on those for a few days. You might find one cheap at Walmart. I also would suggest your not being alone during your recovery. Good luck, and hope you feel better soon after.

 

[traces7]

I had mine out about 4 yrs ago when I was 40. I was off work for 4 days I think, (had them out on a Wednesday, went back to work the following Tuesday) but I really couldn't eat much for about 10 days. (And I didn't even lose much weight!) The first couple days were the worst and then after that it was just a bummer because I couldn't find anything I could eat without hurting.

I mainly drank water. Ice was great, I always had some chipped ice, because it felt so good on my throat and popsicles too! My dr told me no ice cream or dairy products, causes too much mucus. I remember eating jello, applesauce, soup or broth. It got pretty boring, I remember craving for a cheeseburger!

One thing I will say, is keep up on your pain medicine and don't take it on an empty stomach!

I didn't have any problems with my surgery or recovery and I'm glad I did it. My tonsils were horrible full of holes-yuck! Good luck to you!

 

[MaryKLady]

...I then progressed to baby food fruits and vegetables....

That's brilliant...I have not thought of that nor did anyone mention that before. I'm sitting home with a miserable 6 year old who just had her tonsils/adenoids out, her sinuses cleaned out and tubes put in. She is so tired of ice pops and ice cream (can you imagine?) and a lot of soups she says are too chunky or spicey. But baby food, brilliant!!! We'll be off to the store tomorrow, thanks!!!

OP, good luck. I know you'll do well and feel so much better when it's all over.

 

[surfergirl602]

I had mine out around 25. It was terrible, sorry. I was out of work for over a month. My clots came out three times. It was very painful after. I lost around 16 pounds because I couldn't eat anything. No straws remember, and no dairy. Always take your meds. I had a big problem with codeine - it burned very badly, so I had to crush up percoset and put it in applesauce.
I was in the ER three times to get the clots cauterized, while awake. Its one of those surgeries that as an adult are a thousand times worse than when you're a kid. Just be prepared. I would take bearing my kids over getting them out again.

 

[Va-bear]

I say this because I know someone that passed away six months ago from complications of a tonsillectomy. I don't mean to frighten you, I just think that the hospital matters.

Main thing there is if you start to bleed after you leave the recovery area call the hospital....dont wait and think it is 'normal'

Had mine taken out when I was 18. Also has my adenoids taken out. I agree with a pp that it was bad but necessary.

Same w/ me, both taken out at 18 but to this day have never had strep again (after 3-4 x /yr)

When the scabs fell off she had a horrible taste in her mouth the entire day.

I remember that taste to this day - oh WOW>
And to make it worse food I ate still tasted like it.... The ONLY thing that helped was Sprite (and, go figure, I was the only 18 yo who didnt like Sprite....my beloved Coke did nothing for it... ) So buy some Sprite in advance!

(I didnt need any pain meds until day 10 - my doc had warned me that is often the worst day ....).....so just be prepared if that happens to you.

Good luck!!

 

[Junebugwv]

I had mine out at 29.....

Not to frighten you but on day 10 I had a bleed out & had to go to the emergency room. They said it should be ok & to go home. That night I got a clot & went back to the E.R. and nearly died. People do die from tonsilectomies all the time, and not just from doctor or hospital error. It's just so close to important arteries. Anyway, my tip would be if your mouth tastes AT ALL like iron spit in the sink. If it's streaked with blood call the doctor. If it's still streaked with blood 10 minutes later go to the e.r. My fast actions saved my life. Because almost no one dies on the table, my dr. told me he had never had a bleed out in surgery. It happens between day 10-14 when the scabs come off & cause bleed outs & clots. So when they tell you 10 days to 3 weeks they MEAN IT! And don't lift ANYTHING! Not even 2-3 lbs, not a gallon of milk.....

But I do wish someone had told me the risks. I would have taken the doctors instructions more seriously.

My daughter had a similar experience in college with bleeding 10 days post-op. A community hospital had to life-flight her to a larger hospital to get the bleeding under control. Her doctor said she was only the 2nd patient of his to have that happen in his 15 years of surgeries. The 3rd time it happened was to our ds16 at one week post-op.

 

[mandypandy818]

I had mine out about 3 weeks befor Disney and was healed in time to eat what I wanted on vacation. I have not had any ear aches, or strep throat since the surgery. Good Luck.

Thanks so much for letting me know this. My surgery is 3 weeks before our May trip. I explained this to them and they said it should be no problem. I'm just glad to hear it from someone who had it done.

And thanks to everyone who gave advice, opinions, and well wishes. I really appreciate it and it helps a lot.